Star Wars: The Force Awakenscontinues to shatterbox officerecords throughout its first week in theaters. Despite facing four new releases on the crowded Christmas holiday weekend, DirectorJ.J. Abrams' sci-fi blockbuster faces four new releases opening on Christmas Day,Star Wars: The Force Awakensprevailed once again, taking in a massive $153.5 million in its second weekend in theaters. The blockbuster has set yet another record for highest second weekend, breakingJurassic World’s record set earlier this summer of $106.5 million.Star Wars: The Force Awakensalso became the fastest movie to reach $1 billion worldwide, with $544.5 million domestic, $546 million international and $1.09 billion worldwide.
Of course, none of this weekend’s new releases, came close to this sci-fi adventure. Sony’sConcussion, 20th Century Fox’sJoy, Warner Bros.‘Point Breakand Paramount’sDaddy’s Homeopened this weekend, with the studio’sThe Big Shortexpanding nationwide on December 23.The Hateful EightandThe Revenantalso debut in limited release, before expanding nationwide over the next few weeks.
Last weekend,Star Wars: The Force AwakensshatteredJurassic World’s opening weekend record of $208.8 million with a whopping $238 million.Star Wars: The Force Awakensalso set new marks for highest Thursday preview gross with $57 million, the biggest Friday and single-day gross with $120.5 million, making it the first film ever to earn $100 million in a single day. It also became the fastest movie to reach both the $100 million and $200 million domestic box office milestones, while shattering the December opening weekend gross of $84.6 million. It also set new records for biggestIMAXThursday night preview ($5.7 million), single-day ($14 million, Friday), and weekend ($30.1 million), and the highest per- theater average for a wide release ($57,568).
There is one record it didn’t break, though, whichJurassic Worldwas able to hold on to.Star Wars: The Force Awakensearned $279 million in international territories this weekend, for a worldwideopening weekendtally of $517 million, just behindJurassic World’s mark of $524.9 million.Star Wars: The Force Awakensis just the second movie ever to earn more than $500 million globally in one weekend, behindJurassic World, and its international take of $279 million is the third best of all time, behindJurassic World’s $316.1 million, which includes a whopping $96 million from China, andHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, which earned $314 million in its international opening weekend back in 2011.
In its second weekend,Star Wars: The Force Awakensdropped just 38.1%, with an impressive $37,136 per-screen average from 4,134 theaters. This weekend, directorJ.J. Abrams’ blockbusterStar Wars: The Force Awakensalso brokeJurassic World’s records of being the fastest movie to reach $300 million, $350 million and $400 million,$450 million and $500 million, which all fell earlier this week. Of the four newcomers with the gigantic task ahead of them,Joywas expected to have the best weekend of the bunch, butDaddy’s Homeended up coming out on top of the new titles.
Daddy’s Hometook second place with an estimated $38 million,Joyearning $17.5 million in its opening weekend, in third place.Joyis the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces.Jennifer Lawrencereunites withSilver Linings Playbookco-starsBradley CooperandRobert De Niro, along withEdgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd andVirginia Madsen.
Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip($13.8 million) andSisters($12.7 million) took fourth and fifth, withConcussiondebuting in sixth place with $11 million,The Big Shorttaking seventh place with $10.5 million andPoint Breaktaking eighth place with $10.2 million. Of the four movies opening in wide release this weekend,Concussionhas the best critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, with 65% “Fresh,” withJoyscoring a 61% “Fresh rating.Daddy’s Homeis currently on the “Rotten” side with 38%, while there aren’t enough reviews posted yet forPoint Breakto determine a Tomatometer score.Daddy’s Homeopens in 3,200 theaters this weekend, withPoint Breakopening in approximately 2,750 theaters,Joyopening in 2,700 theaters andConcussionarriving in 2,600 theaters. An exact theater count hasn’t been given forThe Big Short’s expansion at this time, but we don’t think it will crack the top 10 this weekend.
Rounding out the top 10 isThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2($5.3 million) andCreed($4.6 million).The Big Shorthas been performing well in limited release, taking in $705,527 from eight theaters over the weekend of December 11, pulling in a spectacular $88,191 per-screen average. The movie expanded into 1,585 theaters. Earlier this year,Steve Jobsopened to astounding limited release numbers, only to flounder when it opened nationwide. We’ll have to wait and see ifThe Big Shortcan avoid the same fate.The Hateful Eightalso put up impressive numbers in limited release, taking 11th place with $4.5 million from 100 theaters, for an impressive per-screen average of $45,366.The Revenantalso opened with an impressive $471,000 from four theaters, with a $117,750 per-screen average, while 45 Years earned $69,300 from three theaters for a $23,100 per-screen average.
Looking ahead to next weekend, there aren’t any new movies opening in wide release, butThe Hateful Eightwill be expanding nationwide starting Thursday, December 31. Paramount’s stop motion movieAnomalisaalso opens in New York and Los Angeles on December 30, and Yosemite opens on New Year’s Day, January 1. The first true weekend of 2016 will be January 8, whenThe Forestand The Masked Saint hit theaters. Be sure to check back on Sunday to see how all of these new releases fared over the Christmas holiday, and come back next Tuesday for the final 2015 box office predictions. In the meantime, take a look at this weekend’s predictions.
